1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to floor systems, and specifically, to an edge trim for access floor systems incorporating access floor panels.
2. Background Art
Access floor systems, also referred to as xe2x80x9craised floors,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ccomputer floors,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9celevated floors,xe2x80x9d have been utilized in a variety of applications in which a plenum, void or cavity beneath a floor surface is required by the user. Traditionally, access floor systems have been heavily utilized in computer room environments, in which a significant amount of interstitial space beneath the floor structure is required to accommodate and manage cables, components and other electrical services. Increasingly, however, demand for access floor systems has grown as usage of access floor systems has become more common in other building environments such as cleanrooms, equipment rooms, and general purpose office space. Such applications benefit from other uses of the space beneath the floor surface, such as housing HVAC componentry or other mechanical services.
An access floor system is made up of a plurality of individual, modular access floor panels supported on a series of pedestals which may be of a fixed height or are adjustable in height. When assembled, the access floor panels form a deck upon which the contents of the room rest. Each access floor panel is a modular unit, which is removable, replaceable, and interchangeable with other panels and is constructed to meet the performance requirements of the entire floor system, including, for example, load bearing requirements, combustibility resistance, and corrosion resistance.
Access floor panels are commonly constructed of a formed steel bottom pan fixedly attached to a load surface which supports a floor covering that forms the actual flooring surface. Due to standard requirements for static electricity dissipation and the desire for an aesthetically pleasing appearance and a smooth rolling surface, access floor panels for use in computer and equipment room applications commonly utilize a floor covering of high pressure laminate or other floor tile materials having a hard, resilient surface. It is these types of applications to which the present invention is particularly directed.
Frequently, unavoidable slight misalignments between neighboring panels create a narrow void between panel edges, which appears as an aesthetically undesirable dark line. Additionally, floor covering materials are frequently brittle and susceptible to cracking under rough wear conditions at the panel edges. Chipping or cracking is problematic in all access floor systems, because it often results in exposure to view of the unsightly interior of the floor covering and degradation of panel stability at the edges. Accordingly, an xe2x80x9cedge trimxe2x80x9d is frequently applied to or formed within the floor covering or the panel around its perimeter. The edge trim should be capable of withstanding rough handling during installation and removal and severe use conditions, and should maintain at all times the structural properties required by the panel system.
Current art has attempted to satisfy these requirements in several ways. Edge trim strips and corner pieces have been utilized which are formed to engage an edge flange of the access floor bottom pan or load surface. Such systems suffer the disadvantage of frequent breakage or separation from the panel assembly. Other systems have been utilized wherein the edge portion of a non-standard high pressure laminate material is removed to expose specially formulated uniformly colored laminate core layers, forming an xe2x80x9cintegralxe2x80x9d trim. Such systems suffer from increased material cost and increased process control costs, as well as the presence of a relatively deepxe2x80x9cgroovexe2x80x9d between adjacent panels that tends to collect dust, water or other contaminants between panels.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, which in one aspect, is an improved access floor panel having a printed edge trim. The invention includes an access floor panel including a panel base capable of being suspended above a subfloor surface and having a load surface for supporting loads. A floor covering, affixed to the load surface, is formed from a material having a top layer and a backing layer underlying the top layer. The top layer has a thickness, and in some coverings, one or more distinct materials may make up the top layer, such as in coverings where a decorative layer is provided below a transparent or translucent wear layer. The topmost surface, or wear surface, of the covering includes a central portion and perimeter edges therearound. The wear surface along the perimeter edges of the covering is etched to a depth that is less than the thickness of the top layer, such that no portion of the underlying backing layer is exposed. An edge trim element is then applied to the etched portion of the covering.